CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - No. 19/23 Harvard closes out its season on Saturday looking to secure the outright Ivy League championship when it faces second-place Yale in the 139th playing of The Game. The noon ET game is slated to air on ESPNU.

- The Crimson earned at least a share of the Ivy title last Saturday when it defeated Penn in triple overtime, 25-23. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, enter the contest in a second-place tie with Dartmouth, which will be at Brown on Saturday.

- Harvard's win over the Quakers secured the program's 18th conference title (first since 2015) and the 10th for Tim Murphy, The Thomas Stephenson Family Head Coach for Harvard Football. Murphy, who also recorded his 200th win at Harvard with the decision, is tied with Carm Cozza (Yale) for most league championships in Ivy League history.

- Quarterback Jaden Craig on Monday was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week after finding the endzone by way of the pass, rush and catch vs. Penn. The sophomore completed a career-high 23 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 35 yards and two TDs in regulation. Then in the third overtime, Harvard ran a jet sweep to Scott Woods II, who reversed the ball to fellow wide receiver Cooper Barkate. The sophomore then found Craig in the endzone to complete the game-winning two-point try.

- Barkate had impressive outing before the successful toss in triple overtime. The wideout caught eight passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Barkate's production was his second-best of the season, ranking only behind a 10-catch, 132-yard, 1-TD performance in the Ivy opener vs. Brown.

- Defensively vs. Penn, the Crimson was led by Thor Griffith. The senior defensive lineman totaled a career- and team-high 10 tackles and a game-high 2.0 tackles for loss. First-year defensive back Damien Henderson, meanwhile, had four tackles and picked off the first pass of his career. Nine different Crimson players have recorded an interception this season, with the team ranking 13th nationally with 13 picks.

- Harvard enters the final week of the season at 8-1, which is its best nine-game record since 2015, when that team was an identical 8-1. A win vs. Yale would give the Crimson its best record since that 2015 team went 9-1 overall (6-1 Ivy League). 

- The Crimson is looking to avenge last season's 19-14 home loss to Yale. The teams have split the last four meetings, with Harvard having won the last time The Game was played at the Yale Bowl (W, 34-31, in 2021).

- Harvard has emerged victorious vs. Yale in 11 of the last 15 get-togethers (11-4) and in 16 of the last 21 (16-5). In games played in New Haven, meanwhile, the Crimson is 11-3 in the last 14 meetings.

- Harvard held firm at No. 19 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, which was released on Monday, the third straight week. The Crimson, meanwhile, moved up one spot in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, checking in at No. 23.

- Sitting at 8-1 on the season, Harvard is one of five teams in the FCS with one or fewer losses. The others are No. 1/1 South Dakota State (10-0), No. 2/2 Furman (9-1), No. 3/3 Montana (9-1) and No. 7/11 Florida A&M (9-1). Before its loss at Princeton, Harvard and South Dakota State were the last two undefeated teams in the FCS.

- Entering the week with eight victories, Harvard leads all New England teams (FBS, FCS, NFL) in wins despite beginning its season later than the rest. Ranking second to Harvard in wins is Boston College, Holy Cross, Rhode Island and Yale with six.